Is this link safe?

A missed parcel, a blocked card, a tax refund? Paste the link here before you click it. We check whether it’s blocklisted, whether the address is genuine, and where it really leads.

How to spot a scam link without clicking

1. Read the domain, not the wordingWhat counts is the end of the address: “barclays-login.com” is not barclays.co.uk. Always read the last two parts before the first slash.
2. Urgency is a scammer’s tool“We’ll suspend your account in 24 hours”, “final warning”: real banks, couriers and government offices don’t write like that.
3. Government offices don’t ask for card details by linkHMRC, the DVLA and Royal Mail won’t ask for your card details through a link in a text. The small “redelivery fee” is the most common scam.
4. Shortened link? Check it firstbit.ly and similar hide the destination. Here you can see where it goes before you open it.
5. If in doubt, use the official appDon’t tap the link: open your bank’s or courier’s own app and see whether there’s really anything to do.

What we can’t check

• The part after the question mark: if the scam only shows itself there, we don’t see it.
• Anything the page loads later with JavaScript: we do a plain download, as a browser would, and don’t click anything.
• Scams that are only a few hours old: they may not be on any blocklist yet. That’s why we look at the other signs in the address too.